Wanting to erase the regret of not playing golf in college the first time around brought Sarah-Anne Smurlick back to school.
The 49-year-old freshman left her home in Ontario, Canada to earn a journalism degree while on Loyola’s golf team.
Many Loyola students like Smurlick decide to go to college later in life to fulfill a dream or start a new chapter in life. Smurlick was a project manager for architectural and engineering renovations at a hydro plant in Toronto. After 24 years, Smurlick was offered a voluntary exit package, allowing her to retire early and move to New Orleans.
“I had to find a school where I was eligible to compete in golf,” Smurlick said. “Loyola was that school.”
Smurlick said she likes the wide range of academics offered at Loyola, unlike the “narrow focus” of her Toronto job.
“I’ve enjoyed learning new things from different fields and seeing how they connect with each other,” Smurlick said, “Loyola has reawakened my mind.”
Robin Mainieri, A’13, returned to Loyola at age 28, one year before Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans.
“After evacuation, I was financially flat and diagnosed with PTSD,” Mainieri said.
Six years later, Mainieri said she returned to Loyola after she settled her financial and emotional debts.
“There was a greater sense of determination I had about my academics than I had when I was younger,” Mainieri said. “It’s more do-or-die.”
Like Mainieri’s increased motivation about academics, Smurlick said her personal motivation and love for golf help her earn good grades.
“I have to remain academically eligible to play golf, which is the primary reason I am here,” Smurlick said. “The NAIA also has an award for teams based on their academic performance, so I do not want to pull the golf team’s score down.”
While pushing herself academically, Mainieri said her age caused some drawbacks.
“The whole experience is harder than it would have been had I finished in my early 20’s while my parents were still able to support me financially and emotionally,” Mainieri said. “It can be a very lonely road, compounded by the fact that professors don’t always understand your plight, nor do your classmates.”
Smurlick said technology is much different today than when she first graduated in 1985.
“We had overhead projectors, no real email and no Blackboard,” Smurlick said. “Computers filled a room when I first went to college.”
She said she also encountered differences between her and fellow classmates.
“The regular freshman are very into themselves,” Smurlick said. “It’s them and their iPhone, whereas I enjoy talking face-to-face with people.”
Mainieri said she experienced differences between her and other students.
“I’m sure some of my younger classmates were rolling their eyes when I would raise my hand,” Mainieri said.”But that’s OK, they’ll understand one day.”
She said she made friends with advisers and students who she may not have befriended at a younger age.
“I made an awesome group of friends who were in their early to mid-twenties and understood my situation,” Mainieri said. “They were great and I found myself mentoring them at times.”
Outside of class, Smurlick said she attends many of Loyola’s extra-curricular activities.
“I enjoy the different evening programs, including speakers and concerts,” Smurlick said.
Smurlick said she plans on writing after graduation if she does not play golf.
“My long term, unattainable goal is to become the oldest rookie on the LPGA tour,” Smurlick said. “I plan to do freelance writing about golf an travel after graduation.”
Mainieri said her education has given her many options, career-wise, but knew at graduation she had to pursue journalism. Now working for WWL-TV, Mainieri hopes to one day become a food writer.
“I’ve discovered at this time in my life that it’s important to keep your dreams alive,” Mainieri said. “It’s what propels you to do more with yourself and be the best at it and I couldn’t have done any of this without Loyola.”
Christiana Van Bree can be reached at
